Portsmouth hope to pay players' wages next week

By Mitch Phillips

London: Portsmouth's players should receive last month's wages when the Premier League club obtain a short-term loan next week, chief executive Peter Storrie said on Saturday.

The cash-strapped club, in dispute with the government's Revenue and Customs department over unpaid taxes, are banned from signing players because of their financial problems and have twice previously failed to pay player and staff wages on time.

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"It is obviously not the best (situation) in the world that you can't pay the players' wages," Storrie told BBC Radio.

"They (the owners) were looking to bring a major bank loan in and that's what has slowed the process up. They are trying to do that now.

"My understanding from them is there is a short-term loan coming in to pay the wages and the players' wages should be paid on Monday or Tuesday." Portsmouth, bottom of the league, were held 1-1 at home by Championship (second division) side Coventry City in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.